BY BRETT NIERENGARTEN @PRORODEOBRETT
The highest-paying rodeo in California so far this season wrapped up Sunday as the Clovis Rodeo continued its Last Weekend in April tradition.
Almost $400,000 was paid out at the Playoff Series Rodeo in Central California, which was a four-header in the timed events, a three-header in barrel racing and a one-header in the roughstock events.
In bareback riding, California native Clayton Biglow won the rodeo in the final performance with 87.5 points on C5’s She-La. The win in Clovis was part of a weekend in which the 2019 World Champion won three of the four rodeos he entered.
In steer wrestling, Kalane Anders left no doubt by winning the Short Go, which he entered with a lead in the Average. The Nebraska cowboy ultimately won the rodeo by almost two seconds overall.
Team roping was won by Jr. Dees/Ross Ashford, a new PRCA pair in 2023 that has been roping together in jackpots since 2019. They were 32.2 on four to cruise to victory by more than three seconds in the Average.
Saddle bronc riding required at least 84.5 points to cash with a man in a blue shirt winning it all. Jesse Wright was 89 points aboard Lunatic From Hell to claim nearly $10,000 in prize money. It was the second consecutive weekend a Playoff Series Rodeo was won by a Wright as Rusty was victorious in Red Bluff.
Jesse wasn’t the only Wright to win in Clovis as Stetson did so in bull riding with a 90-pointer on Macza’s Big River. Despite being No. 4 in the world, it was Stetson’s first bull riding win of the 2023 season.
In tie-down roping, Shane Hanchey picked up a much-needed win that moved him from No. 43 to No. 13 in the PRCA World Standings. Hanchey placed in all four rounds, including in the Top 2 in the first three. The win nearly doubled his 2023 season earnings.
Wenda Johnson won the barrel racing in a similar fashion to Shane Hanchey. Johnson had two of the three fastest times of the rodeo, including wins in Rounds 1 and 2, to win Clovis in her first career appearance.
In the other ladies event, it was a hometown cowgirl taking the title. Hanna Hundsdorfer was 16.6 on four to win the rodeo after making the hour drive north from Exeter.
BAREBACK RIDING
First Round: 1. Clayton Biglow, 87.5 points on C5 Rodeo’s She-la, $10,194; 2. Caleb Bennett, 87, $7,816; 3. Keenan Hayes, 86.5, $5,777; 4. Richmond Champion, 86, $3,738; 5. Dean Thompson, 84.5, $2,379; 6. Kody Lamb, 82.5, $1,699; 7. Wyatt Denny, 81.5, $1,359; 8. Shane O’Connell, 81, $1,019.
STEER WRESTLING
First Round: 1. Cash Robb, 4.8 seconds, $2,605; 2. Clayton Hass, 4.9, $2,265; 3. Jace Melvin, 5.0, $1,925; 4. Riley Westhaver, 5.2, $1,586; 5. (tie) Cody Cabral and Travis Munro, 5.3, $1,076 each; 7. (tie) Justice Johnson, Stetson Jorgensen and J.D. Struxness, 5.5, $264 each.
Second Round: 1. (tie) Jesse Brown and Trell Etbauer, 4.4 seconds, $2,435 each; 3. Joe Nelson, 4.5, $1,925; 4. Brandon Harrison, 4.8, $1,586; 5. Kalane Anders, 4.9, $1,246; 6. Eli Lord, 5.0, $906; 7. Brush Minton, 5.2, $566; 8. Stephen Culling, 5.3, $227.
Third Round: 1. Gavin Soileau, 4.5 seconds, $2,605; 2. (tie) Darcy Kersh and Skyler Woolls, 4.8, $2,095 each; 4. (tie) Kalane Anders and Dalton Massey, 5.3, $1,416 each; 6. Nick Guy, 5.5, $906; 7. Ty Erickson, 5.7, $566; 8. Eli Lord, 5.8, $227.
Finals: 1. Kalane Anders, 5.1 seconds, $1,160; 2. Justin Kimsey, 5.2, $960; 3. Nick Guy, 5.6, $760; 4. Bridger Anderson, 5.7, $560; 5. Brush Minton, 7.3, $360; 6. Jake Nelson, 7.9, $200.
Average: 1. Kalane Anders, 22.2 seconds on four head, $5,210; 2. Nick Guy, 24.1, $4,530; 3. Justin Kimsey, 24.5, $3,851; 4. Brush Minton, 25.0, $3,171; 5. Bridger Anderson, 27.0, $2,492; 6. Ty Erickson, 28.6, $1,812; 7. Jake Nelson, 28.7, $1,133; 8. Dalton Massey, 31.6, $453.
TEAM ROPING
First Round: 1. Kolton Schmidt/Cutter Pake Thomison, 6.0 seconds, $2,579 each; 2. Coy Rahlmann/Jonathan Torres, 6.2, $2,243; 3. Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler, 6.9, $1,906; 4. (tie) Jr. Dees/Ross Ashford, Clayton Hass/Brush Minton and Shain Sproul/B.J. Campbell, 7.1, $1,234 each; 7. Jake Smith/Rance Doyal, 7.2, $561; 8. Caden Lehman/Zalin Arritola, 7.7, $224.
Second Round: 1. Cooper White/Tucker White, 6.6 seconds, $2,579 each; 2. Michael De Van/Brent Lockett, 7.0, $2,243; 3. Dustin Egusquiza/Levi Lord, 7.4, $1,906; 4. Jake Smith/Rance Doyal, 7.5, $1,570; 5. Colton Campbell/Jordan Ketscher, 8.1, $1,234; 6. (tie) Brenten Hall/Paden Bray and Coy Rahlmann/Jonathan Torres, 8.2, $729 each; 8. Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler, 8.3, $224.
Third Round: 1. Jr. Dees/Ross Ashford, 7.4 seconds, $2,579 each; 2. Brenten Hall/Paden Bray, 7.8, $2,243; 3. Clayton Hass/Brush Minton, 8.6, $1,906; 4. (tie) Luke Brown/Hunter Koch and Cory Kidd V/Lane Mitchell, 8.7, $1,402 each; 6. Cooper White/Tucker White, 9.1, $897; 7. (tie) Coy Rahlmann/Jonathan Torres and Cody Snow/Jade Corkill, 9.4, $392 each.
Finals: 1. Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler, 6.3 seconds, $1,138 each; 2. Chad Masters/Trey Yates, 7.3, $942; 3. Cody Snow/Jade Corkill, 7.6, $746; 4. Jr. Dees/Ross Ashford, 8.1, $550; 5. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 8.4, $353; 6. Hagen Peterson/Caleb Hendrix, 8.7, $196.
Average: 1. Jr. Dees/Ross Ashford, 32.2 seconds on four head, $5,158 each; 2. (tie) Rhen Richard/Jeremy Buhler and Cody Snow/Jade Corkill, 35.5, $4,149 each; 4. Dawson Graham/Dillon Graham, 36.2, $3,140; 5. Hagen Peterson/Caleb Hendrix, 36.3, $2,467; 6. Chad Masters/Trey Yates, 36.4, $1,794; 7. Luke Brown/Hunter Koch, 37.1, $1,121; 8. Cory Kidd V/Lane Mitchell, 37.5, $449.
SADDLE BRONC RIDING
First Round: 1. Jesse Wright, 89 points on Burch Rodeo’s Lunatic From Hell, $9,842; 2. Kade Bruno, 88, $7,545; 3. Zeke Thurston, 87.5, $5,577; 4. Isaac Diaz, 86.5, $3,609; 5. Leon Fountain, 86, $2,296; 6. Layton Green, 85.5, $1,640; 7. Brody Cress, 85, $1,312; 8. (tie) Cole Elshere and Ross Griffin, 84.5, $492 each.
TIE-DOWN ROPING
First Round: 1. Shane Hanchey, 8.5 seconds, $2,720; 2. Ty Harris, 8.8, $2,365; 3. Macon Murphy, 9.1, $2,010; 4. Cash Hooper, 9.3, $1,656; 5. (tie) Beau Cooper, Blane Cox and Zack Jongbloed, 9.4, $946 each; 8. (tie) Jerry Adamson, Blake Ash and Colton Farquer, 9.5, $79 each.
Second Round: 1. Marty Yates, 8.6 seconds, $2,720; 2. (tie) Shane Hanchey and Riley Wakefield, 9.0, $2,188 each; 4. (tie) Haven Meged and Tyler Milligan, 9.1, $1,478 each; 6. Lane Livingston, 9.3, $946; 7. Joel Harris, 9.4, $591; 8. Riley Pruitt, 9.7, $237.
Third Round: 1. Jordan Ketscher, 8.8 seconds, $2,720; 2. Shane Hanchey, 9.1, $2,365; 3. (tie) Ty Harris and Haven Meged, 9.3, $1,833 each; 5. Tom Crouse, 9.8, $1,301; 6. (tie) Jake Pratt and Reese Riemer, 10.1, $769 each; 8. Riley Pruitt, 10.2, $237.
Finals: 1. Riley Pruitt, 9.1 seconds, $1,117; 2. Blane Cox, 9.8, $924; 3. Cash Hooper, 10.4, $732; 4. Jake Pratt, 10.5, $539; 5. Ty Harris, 10.9, $347; 6. Shane Hanchey, 11.8, $193.
Average: 1. Shane Hanchey, 38.4 seconds on four head, $5,440; 2. Ty Harris, 40.3, $4,730; 3. Cash Hooper, 40.7, $4,021; 4. Haven Meged, 40.8, $3,311; 5. Riley Pruitt, 40.9, $2,602; 6. Blane Cox, 41.5, $1,892; 7. Jake Pratt, 43.1, $1,183; 8. Brush Minton, 43.4, $473.
BARREL RACING
First Round: 1. Wenda Johnson, 16.88 seconds, $2,630; 2. Hayle Gibson, 16.95, $2,254; 3. Nellie Miller, 17.06, $1,878; 4. (tie) LaTricia Duke and Laura Mote, 17.09, $1,440 each; 6. Shelley Morgan, 17.15, $1,002; 7. Kathy Petska, 17.16, $751; 8. (tie) Darby Fox, Sarah Kieckhefer and Kara Kreder, 17.17, $376 each.
Second Round: 1. Wenda Johnson, 16.68 seconds, $2,630; 2. Summer Kosel, 16.83, $2,254; 3. Paige Jones, 16.90, $1,878; 4. Loni Yates, 16.93, $1,628; 5. Megan McLeod-Sprague, 17.00, $1,252; 6. (tie) Kellie Collier and Steely Steiner, 17.01, $877 each; 8. Sissy Winn, 17.07, $501; 9. Shelley Morgan, 17.08, $376; 10. Paige Dove, 17.14, $250.
Finals: 1. Kathy Petska, 17.01 seconds, $1,948; 2. Paige Dove, 17.08, $1,461; 3. Bayleigh Choate, 17.11, $974; 4. (tie) Wenda Johnson and Loni Yates, 17.19, $243 each.
Average: 1. Wenda Johnson, 50.75 seconds on three head, $3,944; 2. Loni Kay Yates, 51.32, $3,381; 3. Kathy Petska, 51.40, $2,817; 4. Shelley Morgan, 51.47, $2,442; 5. Bayleigh Choate, 51.63, $1,878; 6. Paige Dove, 51.65, $1,503; 7. Kaitlin Schuck, 51.93, $1,127; 8. Kellie Collier, 52.17, $751; 9. Hayle Gibson, 56.75, $563; 10. Laura Mote, 57.17, $376.
BULL RIDING
First Round: 1. Stetson Dell Wright, 90 points on Macza Pro Rodeo’s Big River, $9,785; 2. (tie) Josh Frost and Jestyn Woodward, 88.5, $6,524 each; 4. (tie) Tyler Bingham, Justin Houston and Hayes Weight, 84, $2,501 each; 7. Sage Kimzey, 83.5, $1,305; 8. Jared Parsonage, 80.5, $979.
BREAKAWAY ROPING
First Round: 1. (tie) Timber Allenbrand and Hope Thompson, 2.9 seconds, $1,466 each; 3. (tie) Amanda Coleman and Danielle Lowman, 3.0, $1,057 each; 5. Montana Brown, 3.2, $750; 6. (tie) Emma Charleston and Bradi Good, 3.3, $443 each; 8. (tie) Jackie Crawford, Haliegh Grant, Aspen Miller and Macy Young, 3.4, $34 each.
Second Round: 1. Hanna Hundsdorfer, 3.0 seconds, $1,569; 2. Peggy Garman, 3.2, $1,364; 3. Kendal Pierson, 3.3, $1,159; 4. Delaney Kunau, 3.5, $955; 5. (tie) Liz Hirdes and Danielle Lowman, 3.6, $648 each; 7. Kelsie Domer, 4.1, $341; 8. Aspen Miller, 4.2, $136.
Third Round: 1. Hanna Hundsdorfer, 4.4 seconds, $1,569; 2. Montana Brown, 4.6, $1,364; 3. Cheyenne Britain, 4.9, $1,159; 4. Amanda Coleman, 5.0, $955; 5. (tie) Kelsie Domer, Bradi Good and Danielle Lowman, 5.1, $546 each; 8. (tie) Shelby Boisjoli and Jackie Crawford, 5.2, $68 each.
Finals: 1. Cheyenne Britain, 4.4 seconds, $1,099; 2. Shelby Boisjoli, 4.7, $909; 3. Megan Burbidge, 4.8, $720; 4. Hanna Hundsdorfer, 4.9, $530; 5. Danielle Lowman, 5.6, $341; no other qualified runs.
Average: 1. Hanna Hundsdorfer, 16.6 seconds on four head, $3,137; 2. Danielle Lowman, 17.3, $2,728; 3. Cheyenne Britain, 18.1, $2,319; 4. Shelby Boisjoli, 18.7, $1,909; 5. Megan Burbidge, 19.5, $1,500; 6. (tie) Jackie Crawford and Montana Brown, 12.9 on three head, $887 each; 8. Kelsie Domer, 13.2, $273.
